Identifying and Locating Free Public Wireless Internet Connection
Internet connectivity is a crucial factor as we are living in a world that is heavily reliant on connectivity, and the need to access the internet on the go cannot be overemphasized as one may need to work on the go, get in touch with family and friends, or indeed engage in other activities that require internet access such as browsing news and entertainment. As for the internet connection, cellular data plans do offer this possibility, but they can become rather costly and frequently limit the amount of data that can be transferred. This is why free public Wi-Fi hotspots are so useful; without them, one would be hard-pressed to find any other form of Internet access that provides such a level of functionality for free. They also enable you to browse the internet each time you are on the move, without having to use up your mobile data.
However, it is not always easy to identify secure free hotspots where people can connect to the internet. The approach followed in this guide involves giving practical advice on where you can find free Wi-Fi hotspots regardless of your current location.
Take a look at the major retailers and fast-food chains
The biggest amount of free Wi-Fi hotspots are located in shops and cafes, fast food restaurants, and other popular chains. Some of the examples include McDonalds, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Ikea, and Barnes & Noble in which many offer free in-store WIfi in many or all of their outlets. During shopping or even when you are out buying lunch for your team, check if the stores where you shop offer customers free Wi-Fi.
Download Wi-Fi Finder Apps
I have also reviewed several good Wi-Fi finder applications that you can use on your iOS or Android device to help locate nearby hotspots. Some of the most popular apps include WiFi Map, WiFi Finder, and Wi-Fi Finder Free which lets you search for hotspots manually or have the app search for one around your current location using your phone's GPS. They have features such as the hotspot’s name, signal strength, and speed, type of security, and sometimes even user ranking. Some applications are designed exclusively for the search for free Wi-Fi, while some also have paid access.
Look for a place in one of the City Parks or any Public domain.
There is a trend in the increase of the number of cities in the USA providing free wireless internet access in parks, squares, playgrounds, community centers, stadiums, and other recreational spaces. As seen, Governments understand the importance of providing free wireless Internet to enhance the attractiveness of the area. Locate your city or town’s ordinances to determine if they offer free Wi-Fi access to the public. Other popular places include, the park, the town plaza, the library, and the community center can provide connectivity.
Visit Your Public Library
Talking about the libraries they used to be reliable places where people could find computers for public use and internet access. The majority of local libraries offer visitors Wi-Fi with no charges and without the need to enter any login details. Therefore, libraries offer comfortable seating and work arrangements, easy access to electrical outlets, information, and reference materials, as well as books to read, making them an ideal place for telecommuters and mobile workers. If you are unable to browse the Internet within the library, it is advisable to stay near the entrance of the library because in most cases, the library provides Wi-Fi coverage up to its entrance.
Search Locally Owned Businesses
Cafes, restaurants, retail shops, bookstores, and other forms of businesses offer free Wi-Fi to customers as a means of advertising and satisfying their needs. Most hotspot networks are public, the other uses basic easily guessable passwords such as the store name. This would mean always choosing small, locally-owned businesses instead of big chain stores, connecting with their networks if possible, and possibly even patronizing their stores.
Vacations to Hotels & Airports
While you are on a business trip or touring between towns, there are virtually wireless connections obtainable in hotels, motels, resorts, and airports. Wireless access is offered by almost all the lodging properties, chiefly in the lobby, restaurant, bar or pool deck, and business center to both visitors of the property and the guests of the hotel. At least in terminals and at gate areas, one is likely to come across some of the public Wi-Fi hotspots. This will require you to locate a good seat, log into the free flight Wi-Fi, and browse the Internet while you wait.
Use Public Transit Networks
Mass transit in many large cities such as buses, trains, ferries, and subways now have free transit internet services to the passengers as part of added welfare and entertainment. These are portable routers that enable riders to use the internet through the Wi-Fi connection provided within the vehicles. Transport accessibility is useful when you need to accomplish some tasks during the trip, check your e-mails, or watch movies/shows on the bus or train.
Visit Community Message Boards
Craigslist, blog sites, subreddits, and forums relating to specific geographical locations are ideal starting points when looking for suggestions from the locals on places in town where one can access free public wireless connections. Post a thread indicating the type of free hotspot you require and request other users and residents to suggest the ones to use. Explain where you will be what you plan to do there, and which types of places you shall visit.
The next activity to track is the drive to Wi-Fi-enabled parking lots.
Wireless networking experts report that some of the technology-advanced cities and towns across the world are retrofitting parking lots or garages to support high-speed wireless networking. Some car parks have Wi-Fi connections and this makes drivers surf the internet when still in their cars. This means that you can continue working in a car or do other personal matters on the internet as you are parked.
Wi-Fi sharing networks such as crowdsourced ones have to be employed.
Currently, there are cell phone apps such as We-Fi and Open Garden that allow users to share their Wi-Fi connections with other users to create much larger shared public Wi-Fi networks. As stated before, the multiple mobile, home, and public hotspots that are being combined in these crowdsourced networks provide access to all the contributors. The more the number of users that are there in a given area that join the network the better it is for all users in terms of coverage and performance.
This means that it is wise to know where to go to connect safely since there is a likelihood of getting trapped in scams.
The advantages of free public Wi-Fi that provide numerous conveniences for people in today’s world of network connections are also accompanied by certain security and privacy issues. When connected to an open Wi-Fi network, hackers can sit in the background and capture network traffic, including user logins sent over the air in plain text. Ensure that you do not use social networking, or email, perform banking or credit card-related activities, or shop online while connected to public networks. This can be due to people close to you observing the screen when you are in crowded areas like cafeterias. When connecting to unknown public networks, turn to a VPN service to enhance data security and anonymity while utilizing the open network.
It is easier to locate and connect to free public hotspots since they are found in most retail stores, new methods of crowdsourcing wireless Internet access, and specific applications. Be sure to bookmark this guide so that you always know where to get to the web, no matter what your circumstances are. Finally, it is recommended to apply simple notions of privacy and security to make sure your information is safe while you are using the Internet. As long as there is increased awareness of the available options in hotspots and better usage conduct, people can fully embrace the opportunities of free public wireless internet connections and take advantage of the opportunities in terms of enhanced productivity, convenience, and entertainment.
